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Photo Gallery: Walruses

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Lounging Walrus

Photograph by Joel Sartore

A large, male Atlantic walrus rests with his tusks dug into the sand in Alaska's Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Walrus tusks are multitaskers, used to grip the ice when hauling out of the water, wielded as weapons in territory or mating battles, and even brandished against attacking polar bears.

Walrus Mother and Calf

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

An Atlantic walrus calf finds safety on its mother's back while drifting on an ice floe near Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. Walrus mothers are extremely nurturing, constantly hugging and nuzzling their babies. They often keep their young on ice floes to avoid the crush of the jostling walrus crowds on land.

Baby Walrus With Mother

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

A mother Atlantic walrus watches over her pup on an ice floe near Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. Pups can swim within hours of their birth but stay with their mothers for up to two years before going off on their own. Mothers teach their pups crucial skills, such as how to spot polar bears and how to haul out onto the ice using their tusks.

Walrus Pair

Photograph by Norbert Rosing

Two Atlantic walruses snuggle on an ice floe near Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. Walruses have enormous appetites and hunt for food almost constantly. Their distinctive whiskers are extremely sensitive and help them locate clams and other shellfish buried on the seafloor. They use their ample lips to suction out the meat.

Sprawl of Walruses

Photograph by Joel Sartore

A sprawl of thousands of Atlantic walruses covers a haul-out site in Alaska's Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Walruses are highly social animals, frequently congregating in large groups and communicating with loud bellows and snorts.

Walrus Pileup

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

An Arctic Larry, Moe, and Curly lounge on an ice floe near Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. Walruses frequently use ice floes to rest while they digest a meal, usually consisting of shellfish pried from the seafloor using their long tusks and strong lips.

Lone Walrus on Ice Floe

Photograph by Norbert Rosing

A lone Atlantic walrus rests on what looks to be an undersized ice floe amid a glassy sea in Canada's Foxe Basin. Walruses can reach some 11 feet (3.3 meters) in length and weigh up to 3,000 pounds (1.4 metric tons).

Walrus Group

Photograph by Joel Sartore

Atlantic walruses look for some personal space in Alaska's Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Both male and female walruses grow tusks, which are simply canine teeth that continue to grow throughout their lives. Tusks range in shape and size and are not proportionate to body size. Some walruses have been found with tusks protruding 3 feet (0.9 meters) from their mouths.

Bellowing Walrus

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

An Atlantic walrus bellows toward the camera near Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. Walrus populations were in serious decline during centuries of wholesale slaughter for their blubber and tusks. They now number between 10,000 and 50,000, but conservation efforts appear to be having a positive effect.

Sun-Dappled Walruses

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

Arctic sunlight dapples a pod of Atlantic walruses swimming in Canada’s Foxe Basin. Walruses are clumsy on land but swim with fluent grace. They can dive some 300 feet (90 meters) to feed on the ocean floor and can remain submerged for as long as 12 minutes.